Geographic Access to the Built Food Environment and Impacts on Obesity and Health

University Of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project examines the relationship between access to the built food environment (such as fast food restaurants and grocery stores), obesity, and food behaviors in a population of Hispanics. The research will inform efforts to reduce the rising epidemic of obesity and diabetes by aiding with individual and environmental level interventions focusing on access to the built food environment. A number of scientific advances will be achieved including advancing methodologies for measuring geographic access through the use of Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), and person worn camera technologies, as well as theoretical advances including a better understanding of the role acculturation and perceptions play in changing diet patterns. This project examines not only obesity as an outcome in and of itself, but will also explore food behaviors such as social eating, distracted eating (eating in front of the computer or television), and ethnic food preferences as related to the types of food environments that different groups of Hispanics are exposed to. By understanding these behaviors and patterns and how they are linked to obesity as a health outcome, individual interventions as well as environment level interventions can be better crafted to target high-risk groups. This is of pressing concern to minimize the pending costs of treating obesity-related disease such as diabetes, and to increase quality of life. The project will be completed by the research team with the assistance of undergraduate and graduate students. Students will also work closely with one high school and middle school in the area to teach the GIS survey tool as a data collection methodology and introduction to spatial sciences. According to the 2011-2012 NHANES, 35% of US adults are obese, with even higher rates among Hispanics (43%) and other minorities, leading to a variety of diseases such as diabetes, stroke, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Obesity is not just an individual problem, but is also influenced by social, cultural, environmental, and policy level factors that work together in complex interactions. The built food environment is one environmental level factor that has been demonstrated to have some influence on food choices and obesity outcomes, however current methods and theory are underdeveloped, and often lack necessary data (such as movement patterns of individuals). This study will address many of the methodological limitations in previous studies by examining the differences between home-based access and mobility-based access to the built food environment using objective measures (GPS and person worn cameras). It will also assess the unique and combined relationships of these two types of access on food behaviors, diet, and obesity, and work to better understand how acculturation and perceptions of the built food environment interplay individual level engagement with the built food environment. This will be the first study to examine how Hispanics interact with their built food environment using state-of-the-art sensor tools (GPS, person worn cameras, GIS interviews) and methodologies.